Container



July 9, 1935. G. B. USHER, 2,007,697

CONTAINER Filed June 2, i952 FIG. 7 INVENTOR 4 G'EF/ILDI/VE B. (As/15x? /WZ1/0 w% TTORNE y Patented July 9, 1935 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE comma Geraldine B. Usher, Charlottcsville, Va. Application June 2, 1932, Serial No. 614,885

Claims. (01. 229-23) This invention relates to containers and has for its object the provisionof an improved closure construction and attachment for containers made of fibre-board, by which term I intend to in- 5 clude all types of artificial sheet material made of or containing fibrous substances, such as cardboard,- paper-board, mill-board, pulp-board, and the various cellulose or fibre products obtainable in sheet form. These containers are increasingly employed for the purpose of storing and transporting all manner of food products and manufactured products, and very great numbers of the same are constantly in use. present invention are the provision of an improved end-construction or closure (top or bottom or both as desired) whereby a firm non-yielding closure is provided; which employs a-minimum of material; which can be readily attached and removed; which will successfully inhibit pilfering; which will produce stiffness and reinforcement with a minimum of material; and which shall be compatible with a complete folding or knock-down of the empty container; other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this application I have shown certain forms which my invention may take in actual embodiment. Fig. 1 illustrates part of a container, upside down, embodying my improvements, a portion of the same being broken away and otherwise displaced to show the construction; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the bottom closure in folded form as it appears during shipment and prior to introduction into the container; Fig. 3 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1' but showing a modified form wherein the bottom is formed with two parallel reinforcing ribs; Fig.4 is a perspective view showing the bottom element of 40 Fig. 3 folded for shipment prior to assembly; Fig.

5 is a sectional view through the container shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a. perspective view of the bottom element of Figs. 1 and 5 opened out from the condition shown in Fig. 2 and ready to be intro- 45 duced into the container; and Fig. 7 shows said bottom element laid out fiat as originally cut and prior to being folded.

The container for which my improved end closures are designed comprises four side-walls l-I, preferably squa 'e-cornered, their adjacent margins conriected integral, flexible, vertical folds 2--2, allowing the container to be collapsed when empty and the end closures removed. It is assumed that these side elements will in general be made of fibre-board, and of the same material as The objects of the the end-closures now to be described, although this is not necessarily the case.

My improved end-closure consistsof a single sheet of fibre-board comprising fiat portions 3---3 fitting inside the side-walls, and together filling 5 the entire areadefined by said side-walls. The outer margins of these flat portions 3-3 are formed with flexible integral flaps 4-4 which lie against'the inner faces of the walls ll and are covered andfembraced by-other integral flexible tongues or flaps 5-5 with which the end margins of these'side members are provided. In this way each of the flat portions 3-3 is spaced inwardly somewhat .from the end of the container and a very firm attachment of the closure is effected. The tongues-5 can be secured in place in any desired mannen; one of the simplest and most satisfactory modes being by 'means of staples 66 traversing the side walls I flaps 4 and tongues 5. In order to reinforce these closures and to prevent bulging, either of the closures or of the container walls, I have shown each closure as traversed by one or more upstanding integral folds illustrated at ID. This is produced by forming across the closure an integral transverse upstand- 25 ing fold, the portions 3-3 in the original blank (Fig. 7) being separated by a pair of integral narrow strips Illa-Illa, which are joined to each other and to the adjacent portions by scored flexible hinge-portions l|--ll. Preferably these 30 folds are stitched together permanently as by the staples I2, thus causing the closures to lie flat and folded during shipment and prior to assembly (as shown in Figs. 2 and 4) without preventing their being flattened out as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 6. The tongues 5 by which the closures are held in place are interrupted as shown at l3 to accommodatethese reinforcing folds. Each closure can be stamped by a single operation from a single sheet of fibre-board. 40

The marginal portions of the blank indicated at "-14, lying at the ends of the narrow strips IOal0a and between adjacent flaps 4-4, can, of course, be out off and thrown away if desired, but I prefer to retain them, severing them from 40 each other and from the folds 4 by slits l5 and scoring the blank across the bases of the tongues so formed as shown at l6. When the closure is applied to the container these tongues are necessarilyfolded sidewise, either inside or outside the flaps 4 as may be desired though it is generally better and more convenient to place them inside as shown in Fig. 1, since the flaps 4 then facilitate the introduction of the closures into place, after which the enclosure of these tongues by the tongues 5 has the effect of tying opposite sides of the box more tightly together and producing increased rigidity. Also the engagement of the tongues 4 with the portions 3-3 helps hold the folds l0 upright.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the closure has one only of these reinforcements; in Figs. 3 and 4 it has two of the same. I have shown these closures as apertured for the purpose of ventilating the interior of the container as is desirable in the case of fruits and vegetables; the inset or recessed location of the closure is especially advantageous in this connection as preventing any obstruction of these openings, although I do not limit myself to ventilated containers. The employment of staples to hold the parts together is illustrated as constituting the cheapest and simplest securing device, more quickly installed than almost any other and peculiarly safe against pilierers; although other fastenings can be used. This recessed arrangement of closure has the advantage of allowing access to both sides of the fastening device and enables attachment and removal of the same without injury to the container contents.

Containers having this type of closure can be made with a minimum weight and area of fibreboard, and occupying a minimum of space when folded for transportation or storage. It will be understood however that many changes in detail can be made and that I do not limit myself to these specific forms herein shown except as the same are specifically recited in my several claims which I desire may be construed each independently of limitations contained in other claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. For use with a container, a collapsible closure of the character described formed of fiber board and comprising a pair of strips overlying each other and united along a common line of fold and additional means for retaining the strips in such overlying relation, each strip having united therewith along a scored line parallel with said line of fold a fiat portion, said fiat portions also overlying each other in the knock down condition and arranged to be folded into coplanar relation with each other and with said strips extending therefrom perpendicularly and toward the exterior of said container to form the assembled closure.

2. A collapsible closure of the character described formed of fiber board and comprising a pair of strips overlying each other and united along a common line of fold and additional means for-retaining the strips in such overlying relation, each strip having united therewith along a scored line parallel with said line of fold a fiat portion, said fiat portions also overlying each other in the collapsed condition, and flaps extending from said fiat portions for reenforcing the closure when in use.

3. A container comprising a wall portion, and a closure therefor including two or more coplanar fiat portions and a stifiening fold interposed between said portions and projecting perpendicularly from their common plane, said fiat portions having integral flaps around their outer margins extending in the same direction as said fold, and said stiffening fold having marginal portions adapted to brace said fold.

4. A container of the character described comprising a wall portion and a closure, the closure including. two coplanar fiat portions and a stiffening fold interposed between said portions and projecting perpendicularly from their common plane toward the outside of the container, the sides of said fold being stitched together whereby added strength and uprightness are secured, and means on said wall portion cooperating with said closure to retain said closure in place with the outer edge of said stiffening fold lying in sub stantially the same plane as the edge of the wall portion and with said coplanar fiat portions spaced inwardly of the container therefrom.

5. A closure for a container having side walls comprising two flat portions and an integral stifiening fold interposed between said flat portions and projecting perpendicularly from the plane thereof toward the exterior of the container, and flaps carried by said fiat portions and cooperating with flaps carried by said side walls, said flaps being effective to retain said closure in operative position and providing for removal of the closure from the container.

6. A container comprising four side-walls of fibre-board terminating in flexible flaps surrounding the end opening, and a closure of fibre-board fitting inside said opening and. having a plurality of coplanar fiat portions separated by an integral stiffening fold which traverses the opening from one side wall to the opposite side wall, said fiaps being folded inwardly and secured to said closure in retaining relation, certain of said fiaps being interrupted for the accommodation of said fold.

7. A container comprising four side-walls of fibre-board and a closure of fibre-board separate from the side-walls, said closure having outturned marginal portions and said side-walls having in-turned marginal portions which overlap and embrace the such out-turned portions, whereby said closure is secured in place and also spaced inwardly from the end of the container to define a recess, said closure also having one or more outwardly folded portions traversing said container from side to side and located in said recess.

8. A container comprising four side-walls of fibre-board terminating in flexible flaps surrounding and defining an end opening, a closure of fibre-board fitting inside said opening and having a plurality of fiat portions separated by an integral stiffening fold which traverses the opening from one side-wall to the opposite side-wall, the outer margins of said fiat portions having outwardly folded tongues projecting in the same direction as said stiffening fold and making contact with said side-walls, said flaps being folded inwardly so as to embrace said tongues, and fastening means traversing said walls, flaps and tongues in securing relation.

9. A container comprising four side-walls of fibre-board terminating in flexible flaps which surround the end opening defined by said sidewalls, and a closure of fibre-board fitting inside said opening, said closure having coplanar fiat portions each of which is formed adjacent to a side-wall with a rectangularly-turned, integral, marginal tongue embraced between said sidewall and one of said flexible flaps in-turned for the purpose, adjacent fiat portions being separated by a stiifening fold which traverses said closure from one side-wall to the opposite sidewall and is itself provided at each end with tongues which are embraced between a wall and flap, and means securing said flaps over said tongues.

10. A container comprising four side-walls of fibre-board, each side-wall terminating in one or more flexible flaps and a foldable closure of fibre-board which closure when folded has at one margin a narrow portion having its opposite laces stitched together, each of said narrow portions being joined to the adjacent fiat portion by a 5 flexible joint along a straight line, said fiat portions when opened out perpendicular to said stitched portion producing a closure which conforms to the shape and size of said opening and having marginal tongues fitting the said side walls and interlocked with said flexible flaps in securing relation.

GERALDINE B. USHER. 

